Be Like Vic: From Teaching to Hobbies—Find Joy Everywhere in Thailand

Initially, moving to a new country could be an extremely exciting experience. You are in a completely new environment and there is so much to take in at once: the air is different, the people speak in indistinguishable sounds, the aromas wafting past are foreign, and people are driving on the wrong side of the street.

That first day, you may say to yourself, “Wow! I’m really living in Thailand.” Do not be surprised if you frequently find yourself saying that to yourself over the next year or two. The bewilderment does eventually wane. And for those looking to teach English in Thailand, those first days are filled with wonder and possibility.

It really can be the start of an incredible new chapter.

The Joy and Fulfillment of Teaching in Thailand

In this new country, you are also employed in a field that you may have only been on the receiving end of… Yes! Teaching. What a fulfilling way to earn money, while also having fun and sharing knowledge with young people.

The young people, or kids, are mostly enthusiastic and curious about their foreign teachers. They ask a million questions about anything and everything, and they also love to be silly and goofy. You are lucky enough to interact with them daily at work.

Two years go by while you are enjoying your new line of work, and it flies! However, after those two years, something does feel different. Many teachers in Thailand discover this joy, and it’s one of the biggest reasons people choose to teach in Thailand in the first place.

When Novelty Fades but the Magic Remains

The newness of the entire experience does a great job at keeping you fully immersed and never feeling bored. All these new experiences hold your attention, but they lose their shine after some time. It is only natural. You become accustomed to things, and they are no longer novel. The sparkle doesn’t fade; you just become sparkle blind from seeing the sparkles all the time.

This doesn’t mean that you should prepare for an eventual moratorium for the contentment in your life, nor do you have to think, “Uh-Oh! Time to pack and move to a new place,” to chase that dragon. This is a common phase for many who come to teach in Thailand, but it’s also an opportunity to grow even further.

Finding Fulfillment at Work and Beyond

Finding fulfillment in your job is an amazing feeling, and it makes work feel less like work. I mean, we spend most of our time at work, so it should be something that is both rewarding for ourselves and the community.

Teaching hits both of these marks. Expending the effort to create fun and engaging lessons for students and the students reciprocating by being actively involved feels like a great success. Should we only rely on our job for that feeling, though?

What about when the job loses its novelty, and that fulfillment is not giving you the same buzz? What do you do then? Even for those who teach English in Thailand, it’s crucial to nurture other passions and outlets.

The Power of Hobbies in Bangkok and Beyond

Hobby time! Yeah, find a hobby or many hobbies. In the Bangkok Metropolitan area, there is so much to do and see. The city is highly cosmopolitan and offers much more than just Khao San Road, Sukhumvit Soi 11, massage shops, and numerous bars and nightclubs.

This is where teaching in Thailand truly shines—you have time and space to pursue what you love outside the classroom.

Cooking: A Creative and Comforting Escape

Since I’ve been living in Thailand, I’ve developed a few hobbies that have kept things fresh for me. I mean, I don’t say, “I can’t believe I’m living in Thailand!” every day. I am coming up on year four, though, and I say it to myself a few times a week.

I can say that I was lucky to have had some activities, such as cooking, to entertain myself when I wasn’t teaching when I first arrived. As a chef, cooking has been an enjoyable activity for me for many years, even before I came to Thailand. I may have been burnt out from the work environment, but the food was what gave me joy.

Funny thing about working as a chef, you really only have time to be a chef and no other time for much else in your life, womp womp (hence the burnout). As someone who enjoys playing with their food, the variety of new ingredients available to me was an added bonus, further enhancing the excitement.

Let’s say I had a rough week with the kids because, well, they were being kids, I would look forward to making a creative meal using some newly discovered ingredients. The entire experience, from creating the recipe to shopping for the ingredients, cooking the multi-stepped components, and finally eating it, would be revitalizing.

Many teachers in Thailand find that these personal passions keep them balanced and energized.

The Joy of Solo Travel in Thailand

There are other activities that bring me joy outside of cooking, but initially, arriving in Thailand, cooking was the easiest to fall into. Others had to evolve and develop from other hobbies I had partaken in back home in the United States. One such activity is travelling alone.

Before arriving in Thailand, I had only taken two trips by myself that were over two days. Once I came to Thailand, I didn’t really think about traveling too much. I was still trying to figure out what was going on in my little neighborhood.

Fortunately, I made some new friends who invited me to travel to Hua Hin. This was the catalyst to my solo traveling in Thailand. After visiting Hua Hin for the first time and loving it, I went back by myself two more times, staying for a total of 12 days. After Hua Hin, I wanted to travel to other destinations within Thailand on my own.

So far, I have visited Koh Muk, Saraburi, Railey Beach, Koh Tao, and Chumpon alone. Planning a vacation and looking forward to it does help keep things fresh. Once you go away from home for a bit in a serene setting, you will feel refreshed and ready for whatever you have to do next upon your return.

This freedom is one of the gifts of choosing to teach in Thailand—the chance to see the country up close.

Creative, Affordable Hobbies for Any Budget

See, I’m enjoying more than one activity outside of my job. To me, the more activities, the merrier. Due to various circumstances, some hobbies may be more accessible than others at any given time. Some may require money to engage in, and we all know the end of the month is one of those times when our pockets are a little emaciated.

I always have a hobby that is easily accessible and doesn’t really cost more than a Spotify subscription, headphones, or a speaker, a notebook, and a pen. Writing lyrics is one of those really cheap, yet really rewarding hobbies. It can be done anywhere, at any time, whenever you feel like it.

These sorta of hobbies are clutch (no pun intended) because they can be carried along with us wherever we go. Have a long day at immigration, well, it’s not so long anymore with your take-anywhere hobby. Other hobbies that are inexpensive and can be enjoyed anywhere include crocheting or knitting, reading books, writing short stories, and drawing.

There are definitely tons more; this is just all I could come up with right now. No matter where you are, teaching in Thailand gives you time to explore these personal joys alongside your professional role.

Living a Balanced, Fulfilling Life in Thailand

Life is always more fulfilling when you have fulfillment coming from every which way. Find your coves of fulfillment outside your job to keep that experience always fresh and novel. Engage in several different interests, from those that can be a little expensive to those that cost you nothing. This way, you will always have something available to maintain a stable level of contentment.

Ultimately, it’s what makes choosing to teach English in Thailand so special—it’s not just a job, it’s an opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive both inside and outside the classroom.